Henderson, the chair of the Title IV Review Committee, a committee responsible for issuing certifications (Duncan/Schofield/Cox) and presentments (MacBurney), has been busy, in recent days. Many of these deposed have been current and former bishops of the Network of Anglican Dioceses and Parishes, including a deposition against the moderator of the Network, Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh. Henderson is now going after his one Network parish telling St. Christopher's that it must conform and fully support The Episcopal Church.

"The bishop is no longer counseling members to be patient. He is requesting a decision to be in conformity with TEC," the Rev. Dr. George Naff Gray told VirtueOnline. The 275-member congregation has begun a 40-day discernment process in response to Henderson's request to make a decision by May 11, 2008. St. Christopher's shortened the 40 Days program in order to meet the Bishop's deadline of Pentecost.

Henderson stated, at a February 21st meeting with St. Christopher's, that "I must admit that, in a real sense, I'm baffled. I simply do not understand what there is about me or my positions on current issues that makes my ministry unacceptable to you." He continued that he was a Windsor Bishop in a Windsor diocese and that Dr. Reginald Fuller stated in correspondence to him that he may be the "savior of the Anglican Communion" for his role at General Convention 2006. "The congregation was not persuaded," said Mike Carey, a recent vestry member of the church.

VOL has been stating for years that moderate bishops in TEC would sooner or later force congregations to make a decision to accept homosexual relationships and marriages as "normal" in TEC. That prediction is slowing coming true in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina where its only orthodox parish is being persecuted in a manner not unlike those Network bishops being deposed by TEC even as the bishop regards himself as moderate on the issues.

Paul Melotte, a former vestry member who has been with the parish for nearly 20 years, told VOL that Bishop Henderson has flip-flopped on sexuality issues even though he calls himself a Windsor Bishop. "Bishop Henderson stood up in our church following the 2003 General Convention and said homosexuality was a sin, but if you read his pastoral letter to the congregation he later apologized for upsetting people by voting against Robinson's consecration." Henderson later said, "Beloved, I tell you this in tears because it will hurt some, if not many. I did not consent to Canon Robinson's consecration. As a Church we have not yet determined that the traditional understanding of Holy Scripture on sexuality has been incorrect. My commitment to inclusion for all of God's children is equally firm...In the interim, may God and God's people of whatever diversity forgive me if I have acted in error."

Said Melotte, "If homosexual behavior is a sin why would or should he apologize, why wouldn't he care more about their salvation and what the Bible says and say this is what we believe?" Melotte said he was hopeful that the 40-day discernment process would help St. Christopher's see clearly "that we should not be yoked with unbelievers" as stated in II. Cor. 6:14.

Henderson set three options for the parish. They are: "Continue to strive together...in the diocese in which God has planted you; cooperate in the process of choosing another bishop to provide pastoral care as we continue to work towards reconciliation; or, as individuals, leave the Body of Christ in Upper South Carolina and The Episcopal Church and join or form some other body."

Andy Hall, Senior Warden of St. Christopher's, told VOL that when the bishop came to the parish the people listened respectfully to what he said, "but after the bishop's presentation and the congregational meeting the following week few if any parishioners believe DEPO, as laid out by the bishop would move us forward in a positive way. The process consisted of too many hoops to jump through. We would like to have requested the Bishop of SC, the Rt. Rev. Mark Lawrence to be our visiting bishop, but Bishop Henderson made it clear it would be his choice not ours. I don't believe we would ever have arrived at a consensus."

Henderson also told the congregation that he would not allow the parish to keep the property if they departed. Church leaders told VOL that they would not spend money on lawyers to fight a court battle for the property, which is valued at more than $3 million dollars and without any indebtedness. "The Vestry has no desire to enter into a property dispute preferring to walk away if it is God's will that is why we entered into this period of discernment."

The 40 Days of Discernment™ is intended to be a "process for congregations to seek the Lord's will for their place within the Anglican Communion, as well as their expressed relationship with The Episcopal Church in the United States. The process is designed to be one that encourages people to seek Jesus Christ. It asks the question, can orthodox, biblically committed congregations continue to remain affiliated with The Episcopal Church in the U.S.; or has the time come to seek alternative affiliation with some other branch of Anglicanism?"

Carey and Melotte both told VOL that the "sad truth" is that many at the church can no longer reconcile their belief in the Bible and still maintain their association with the Episcopal Church. "Many of my friends know (through VirtueOnline) that at the 2003 General Convention most of the bishops could not uphold certain basic doctrines of the Christian Faith including the authority of Holy Scripture. (Resolution B001) The resolution put forward by the Bishop of Quincy, the Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman was defeated," said Melotte.

Fr. Gray said his congregation has been given a deadline to respond to the bishop. "We will have a vestry meeting on May 4th following our discernment process and it is my hope we will meet the bishop's deadline."

The following correspondence and articles by Bishop Dorsey Henderson can be accessed here: http://upperscvii.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/a-pastoral-letter-to-the-church-in-upper-south-carolina-2/

Attached is an interview (on Rainbow Radio) of Doak Wolfe, assistant organist at Bishop Henderson's Trinity Cathedral in Columbia. Doak proudly and openly lives with his life-partner Gordon Smith of 19 years. The interview describes how Doak taught one of the girls how to wear high heels. Their two daughters are both gay. The interview was given on Mother's Day.

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/content/DoakWolfe_GordonSmith_HillarieSmith_interview.m3u

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